MIXTAPE MASTERPIECE: Rob Duskey

Rob Duskey is a singer/songwriter from Cleveland. He’ll be performing tomorrow at the Heights Music Hop in the Cedar Lee district. Go to www.heightsmusichop.com to get more info about this free festival and find out where he’s performing and when!

Hey guys! There are so many songs to choose from but these are some of the things I really enjoy from Cleveland lately. Follow me on twitter at @robduskey or facbook stalk me! Peace in the middle east. – RD

Joshua Jesty – “From Invincible To Invisible”

We’ve always known he’s one of the best songwriters in Cleveland, on this song he decided to show why. One of the great things about Jesty is that he’s an everyman songwriter. He’s not defined by one genre, nor should he be. With “From Invincible To Invisible” he takes a route that is so underrated from a songwriter stance. He’s able to give you a melodic pop song with flawless lyrics, and perform it in a fashion that makes you feel like the girl he wrote the song about is sitting in a tire swing right in front of him. This version gives my heart goose bumps. Maybe next time the audience will realize they’re staring at a genius and shut the hell up. Kudos Joshua.

The New Soft Shoe – “Hot Burrito #2”

I used to hate tribute bands. Then I saw The New Soft Shoe. Led by one of Cleveland’s’ favorite singer/songwriters Brent Kirby, The New Soft Shoe breathes life back into the lost gems of Gram Parsons and The Flying Burrito Brothers in “Hot Burrito #2”. This particular version recorded live at The Happy Dog is very strong. It takes a pretty special cat to make me go from despising cover/tribute acts to liking their version more than the original. This isn’t even the best live version I’ve seen them play, I just couldn’t find the one I wanted. The great thing about The New Soft Shoe is that Kirby could have written all of those songs himself. Nothing is out of reach when it comes to ability in the writing department, and even in this instance, the song is now his.

Nate Jones Band – “Another Night, Another Town”

Sometimes all you have to do is sing from the heart; especially when there’s already so much soul coming through Nate’s voice. What’s great about this jam is it didn’t need a video to make you remember it. We were just lucky I guess. Nate Jones Band released “The Nate Jones Band EP” a few months ago and this song still has staying power. Kudos for having the guts to make a video with a storyline, which is a risk and a dying art. It shows that a singer/songwriter with a band from lil ‘ol Cleveland, Ohio can hang with the big boys just as much as anyone else.

The Bridge Committee – “FUCK THAT feat. Rage”

Speaking of videos… Sometimes a good repetitive hook, with some good prolific spit over a chill beat, and an entire verse in a language I don’t speak is all you need. The video is not only creative and cool; it’s very funny at times. The Bridge Committee is comprised of two rappers Kent Archie (Cleveland, Ohio) and Jazz 8 (Galati, Romania). This collaboration is a winner. Mike Miles (guitarist for The Universe Doesn’t Stand A Chance Against Joshua Jesty) also wrote the beat for this track. Nice work gentleman.

Ohio Sky – “This House is Old”

I met these guys outside of a Foo Fighters concert once. We were just talking about musicians we liked, I think I bummed a smoke; they seemed like nice guys. Generally the nicer the guys, the crappier the bands….maybe that type of thinking is antiquated, but these guys should have been real A-holes. I went and checked out their songs after that encounter and have been keeping an eye on them ever since. They blow me away. This song in particular hits me like a haunted house. Their ability to contrast between a harder song and a chill vibe is unparalleled in this town. Their future is much brighter than an Ohio Sky. Cheers.